INVISIBLE CAGES AND INTERNAL BLOCKS

The surprising reason you’re staying stuck even when you’re doing everything right.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right, but still end up looping back into the same habits - whether it’s overeating, burnout, overgiving, or playing small, there’s a good reason. It’s not that you’re lazy, or undisciplined, or “sabotaging” yourself on purpose. The real block usually isn’t willpower at all. It’s safety. More specifically, what your subconscious mind believes is safe.

Our healing isn’t just physical, it’s emotional, mental, and energetic. Your body can only change as far as your mind allows it to. And most of us are still operating from beliefs we didn’t even consciously choose. Those old, inherited narratives shape our sense of safety, worth, and possibility. They become invisible cages, beliefs so subtle they feel like truth.

Any of these sound familiar?

• If I slow down or rest everything will fall apart (aka “I can’t succeed without burning out.”)
• I have to do everything myself (aka “I’m not worthy of being taken care of.” or “It’s not safe for me to receive”)
• Every time I start making progress, something throws me off (aka “If I lose weight, people will expect more from me.”)
• I’m not ready yet, I need to feel more confident/qualified first (aka “It’s safer to stay stuck than to stand out.”)

You don’t choose these stories; they’re imprinted early, often by age seven. They become the filter through which you see yourself and the world, quietly dictating your choices, your reactions, and even your capacity to receive the things you say you want.

That’s why you might feel full, but still find yourself reaching for snacks. You might crave growth, but keep shrinking back into what feels familiar. You might dream of expansion, but your body tenses every time you start to step forward. You might pour energy into everyone else, then feel resentful and depleted. None of these are signs of weakness - they’re signals. Signs that your nervous system doesn’t yet feel safe with expansion.

This is where most women get stuck. They push harder, restrict more, overanalyse, or blame themselves for lacking motivation. But the truth is, your nervous system will always prioritise safety over success. You can’t bully your body into feeling safe - you have to teach it.

That process starts with awareness. Notice when a familiar pattern shows up. Instead of jumping to fix it, pause and ask yourself, what belief is this protecting? Sometimes it’s around worth. Sometimes it’s around identity. Sometimes it’s just an old memory your body hasn’t yet released. When you can name the pattern, you take back power from it.

From there, the work is gentle but profound: questioning the belief, regulating the body, and surrounding yourself with expansion. Practices like breathwork, EFT tapping, and nervous system regulation tools help you rewire safety into your body so you can hold more: more energy, more joy, more visibility - without shutting down or burning out.

And the environment you’re in matters. If no one around you is living the kind of life you desire, it’s going to feel impossible to imagine it for yourself. Find rooms, mentors, and communities where expansion is the norm. Your circle influences your ceiling.

But most importantly, be honest with yourself: What do you really want? What’s the story that’s been stopping you? And who would you be if you stopped negotiating with your potential?

Because the truth is, the moment you start choosing yourself - your healing, your truth, your power, is the moment those invisible cages begin to dissolve. The fear might still whisper, but your body starts to believe a new story: that it’s safe to grow, to rest, to receive, to shine.

You were never broken. You were simply built to survive. Now it’s time to learn how to thrive.

If this landed, I go deeper into this on The Wild & Well Collective, Episode 36 — a real, raw conversation on beliefs, burnout, and becoming the woman your future self is already waiting for.

With love,
Sheree xo